ActRight

On March 1, Governor Daugaard vetoed a very important, well thought out bill to protect the privacy of South Dakota’s students.  HB 1008, The Student Privacy Bill, was lauded as a common-sense approach to protecting the privacy and well-being of all students while making reasonable accommodation for transgender students.  The bill passed both chambers of the state legislature with strong support.

This is a very important bill that should not have been vetoed but passed and celebrated as an example for the rest of the country as ‘bathroom battles’ continue to be waged from coast to coast.  It protects students who, for reasons of faith, modesty, or privacy, don’t want to be forced to change in front people of the opposite sex, while reasonably accommodating transgender students who don’t want to change in front of people of the same biological sex. Instead of a winner-take-all approach, this bill helps create a win-win outcome for everyone.

What counts as a reasonable accommodation? The bill mentions three examples explicitly — single-occupancy restrooms, unisex facilities, and faculty locker-rooms — and it leaves lots of room for teachers and principals to work out tailored solutions that will be sensitive to everyone’s interests.

But the battle does not end here.  The South Dakota legislature can override the Governor’s veto and implement this important law.

Take the time right now to sign the petition below urging the leadership in both the House and the Senate to take up the veto override and protect the privacy, rights, and well-being of all South Dakota’s students.

The Petition